Spine Archives - Rita Chorba, PT

30Apr 2023 by ritapt

Don’t blame your bad discs – help them!

Lifting, Neck Back, Recovery, Spine, Tactical

Don’t blame your bad discs - help them! This article was originally published in The Raider Patch: Magazine of the U.S. Marine Raider Association If you've had a healthcare provider say your back pain is because of bulging or degenerated spinal discs, you'd expect them to tell you how to fix said discs, right? Unfortunately, I bet many people in this situation have been told this is nothing that can be done. Disc replacement is a thing, but it's nowhere near perfect yet for the lower back. So most doctors offer one type of solution: pain management. They provide pain drugs, injections, and sometimes even anti-depressants. Relief, yes, but not repair. While there is no doubt that pain relief is important so that you can go about your life, it isn't…

01Feb 2023 by ritapt

What the Cup! Cupping Therapy for Sports and Tactical Injuries

Lifting, Lower Body, Neck Back, Recovery, Running, Spine, Tactical, Upper Body

What the Cup! Cupping Therapy for Sports and Tactical Injuries This article was originally published in The Raider Patch: Magazine of the U.S. Marine Raider Association "The octopus got me again!" Cupping therapy, also known as vacuum therapy, is a negative pressure treatment applied over the skin to treat physical pain and injuries. Cupping increases blood flow, releases old blood and scar tissue deposits, and decompresses underlying structures (up to 4 inches under the surface!) A transient pattern of purple circle marks over the treated area is a signature side effect in stressed or injured tissues where old debris has been "drawn up." Recipients appear to have been attacked by a particularly vigorous sea creature. Skin response 15 minutes after a cupping treatment in a person with neck injuries, frequent dehydration…

01Feb 2023 by ritapt

How to deadlift after back pain or injury (without hurting yourself, again)

Lifting, Neck Back, Spine, Tactical

How to deadlift after back pain or injury (without hurting yourself, again) This article was originally published in The Raider Patch: Magazine of the U.S. Marine Raider Association You might have been here before: A sharp pinch, a stabbing pain, an audible "POP"… you've thrown your back out! While getting hurt can squash your entire workout routine, back pain can be incredibly disruptive to even the most thoughtfully crafted program. Regaining a restful night's sleep is usually a top priority in the immediate aftermath of a back injury. But sooner or later, you know that you'll need to make an agreement with your spine to trust loading again. And when that loading involves the deadlift, even the most experienced weightlifter may dread the conversation between brain and body. Luckily, a simple…

25Nov 2022 by ritapt

Why Your Back Hurts After Rucking and What You Can do About It

Spine, Tactical

Why Your Back Hurts After Rucking and What You Can do About It This article was originally published February 2019. Updated November 2022. Featured in The Raider Patch: Magazine of the U.S. Marine Raider Association Rucking can be really tough on your back. All of our clients who regularly participate in rucking have experienced at least occasional back pain. Of course, some muscle soreness is to be expected; after all, carrying 90+ pounds is no easy task, even over short distances. It’s almost like carrying another person. And the fact of the matter is that your spine is only meant to bear your own weight. But some people experience pain that goes beyond the typical muscle soreness. If that sounds like you, you’ve probably wondered what causes that pain and whether…

31Dec 2021 by ritapt

Missing mobility that can help boost your pull-up workouts

Lifting, Spine, Tactical, Upper Body

Missing mobility that can help boost your pull-up workouts Upper back, or thoracic, mobility is a key maintenance issue for the overhead athlete. The thoracic spine plays a vital role in keeping the shoulders out of pain and working correctly. A loss of mobility here can cause painful compression of the rotator cuff muscles or make your lat muscles have to work overtime for pull-ups. And if repping pull-ups isn’t your thing, consider the unattractive humpback you’re likely to develop if you neglect mobility work here! Assess While plenty of videos online show ways to increase thoracic mobility, it’s important that you first determine if you have a deficit. That way, you can monitor your progress and choose effective exercises. To measure your thoracic mobility, use the Seated Rotation Test.…

08Nov 2020 by ritapt

How to treat your own back pain (and when you shouldn’t)

Spine

How to treat your own back pain (and when you shouldn’t) "Here's what you should do about low back pain…" Tell someone you've thrown your back out again, and this is the typical advice you'll get. Friends and family mean well, but without knowing the cause of your pain, there's not much that anyone can tell you confidently that will apply to your situation. Unfortunately, finding someone who knows how to help you often takes effort. You should do it, but we know life gets in the way. If the pain isn't that bad or doesn't show up very often, you might put it off. But this would be a mistake because the next time back pain shows up, you might not have the time or energy needed to give…

09May 2020 by ritapt

When you should see a doctor about head, neck, or back pain

Spine

When you should see a doctor about head, neck, or back pain Matt had suffered from back pain on-and-off for years. He’d been in a car accident years ago and had also survived a nasty fall from a ladder. The past few years had been pretty good, though, with only occasional low back pain after hard workouts. This recent slip from a ladder was different. And stupid, Matt said, because, in his hurry to clean out the gutters on a sunny day, he’d failed to secure the ladder properly. Matt said he felt strange the next morning - while his back hurt, his left leg felt wobbly like Jello. He’d nearly tripped over his foot on his way to the bathroom. And, he’d had difficulty urinating when he did make…

08Apr 2020 by ritapt

When a headache is a real pain in the neck

Spine

When a headache is a real pain in the neck Written by Rita Chorba, DPT Originally published in The Raider Patch: Magazine of the U.S. Marine Raider Association I once worked with a very grumpy client who had a long and painful history of headaches. He had sustained a whiplash injury in a humvee rollover accident years earlier. He was taking the prescription medication Imitrex, but the results were inconsistent. The drug worked for the debilitating, fast-onset headaches, but seemed useless for the dull, achy ones that lasted for days or longer. Grumpy's fast headaches were diagnosed as migraines, and he had a suitable medication for that problem. So why didn't the drug work for the dull headaches? Despite the thorough attention paid to his head - bloodwork, MRIs, and…

19May 2019 by ritapt

How to Deadlift After Back Pain or Injury

Lifting, Spine

How to Deadlift After Back Pain or Injury Are you an experienced weightlifter? Have you ever suffered a back injury? Admit it - this is the face you make when it’s time to get back in the gym for that first deadlifting workout: The ability to touch your toes is essential for deadlifting…and is not just for flexible people! Before someone learns to deadlift, or after someone has recovered from a back injury, one of the first things we look for is their ability to touch their toes. Toe touch helps us to identify some essential qualities necessary for deadlifting safety and performance, including: Range of motion and flexibility to reach the floorBalance and coordination to shift bodyweight forward and backwardPotential compensations due to pain or muscle imbalances Sometimes, genetics…